GATSBY: A JAZZ BALLET ODYSSEY Debuts at Her Majesty's Theatre

Directed and choreographed by Joel Burke, the production reframes Jay Gatsby not as satire, but as a man gripped by belief.

“For me, Gatsby isn't irony,” Burke says. “He is a romantic who genuinely believes the past can be remade. I wanted to remove the wink and let the longing sit front and centre.”

Burke's choreography uses physical contrast to drive the narrative. The excess of Gatsby's parties unfolds in expansive, rhythm-charged ensemble sequences, while moments of deliberate awkwardness and unexpected stillness expose the character's vulnerability. Movement is frequently interrupted or restrained, allowing hesitation, imbalance and silence to carry dramatic weight.

“I'm interested in what happens when the body resists,” Burke explains. “Sometimes the stillness tells the story more truthfully than virtuosity.”

An original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Jason Fernandez, alongside Dominic Cabusi, gives the production cinematic propulsion. Classical ballet technique is interwoven with tap and jazz phrasing, creating a physical language that mirrors the glamour of the Jazz Age while revealing its instability.

The cast features alumni of the Mariinsky Theatre, English National Ballet, Queensland Ballet, The Australian Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. From the wildly thrilling scale of Gatsby's infamous parties to the stripped-back, exposed intimacy of his longing, the production's pacing is designed to be relentless. Visually, musically, and emotionally, the momentum builds continuously toward the final image of the green light.

“Even though it's a full theatrical experience, I want that sensation of, ‘I can't believe it's already over,'” Burke notes. “Because theatre should feel transporting. It should sweep you up completely... and when the curtain falls, there should be that slight disbelief — that rare feeling that you've just experienced something larger than you expected.”